Process of producing carbon-hydrogen gas



- Patented May 18, 1920.

T..0'coNNELL. PROCESS 0F PRODUGING CARBON HYDROGEN GAS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0, |919. 1,340,495.

TIMOTHY OCONNELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PROCESS 0F PRODUCING CARBON-HYDROGEN' GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18', 1920.

Application filed September 10, 1919. Serial No. 322,934.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY OOONNELL, citizen of the United States, andresidentof Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of` ProducingCarbon-Hydrogen Gras, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art or process of producingcarbon-hydrogen gas.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved method foroperating a gas generator, whereby a greater quantity of coal andhydrogen gas may be produced, from the same amount of coal.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method oftreating the coal to produce not only a greater quantity of gas, butalso, to eliminate the formation of hard, solid clinker.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method forproducing gas in a considerably shorter time than is possible to producethrough the present operation of a generator; to produce so called softclinker, formed by the burning of the coal, and to cause the clinker tocollapse in such a way, as to permit the reacting agents, passingthrough the coal, to freely act upon a greater number of coal particles,than is possible by the methods used to-day.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a certain way ofcoaling the generator during the operation of my improved gas-producingprocess.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the followingdescription, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in whichan appropriatev machine for producing gas is diagrammaticallyillustrated, and in connection with which my process will be betterunderstood.

Referring to the drawings, a basement Hoor is shown, designated by 10,upon which rests a generator 11 equipped with the usual grates 12.Beneath the grates enters into the generator a blast pipe 13, providedwith a valve 13, and which conveys air,under pressure in the coal abovethe grates enterin through hand operated nozzle 113.

pposite the blast pipe 13, and located also beneath the grates, is apipe connection 14, through which steam under pressure may be forcedinto the burning coal, while a similar pipe connection 15, is providednear the top of the generator, through which steam may be forceddownward into and through the burning coal. Opposite the pipe connection15, is located the producer or water gas pipe 16, which deflectsdownward at 1T, terminating in the dust pocket 1.8. Another portion 19,of the producer or by way of independently `operable nozzle 113 andthrough pipe 13, the valve 21 is opened; when steam enters through pipe14, valve 21 is opened while valvev 13 has been closed; and when steamis forced through pipe 15, valve 21 is to be closed and valve 13 is tobe opened.

The produced producer or water gas passes .through the producer or watergas pipe 19 into the carbureter 20, on top of which is provided a pipeconnection 22 through which oil is sprayed at certain intervals into thegas.

The oil1niXed gases then travel downward between the outer wall of thecarburoter and the dividing wall 23 into the superheater 24, the top ofwhich is provided with a duct 25, which may be opened or closed by valve26. Above the duct 25 a purge stack 27 serves for receiving andconveying draft-gases when the valve 26 is opened. Vhen producingproducer or water gas the valve 26 remains closed and the gas is forcedto travel through the pipe 29, the wash-box 30 into the gas main 31. Anoperating valve 32 in the gas main 31 serves for closing the latter,when an air blast is made through the machine, during which period thevalve 26 is opened. At the bottom of the superheater, a cleaning door`28 is provided.

The usual equalization or balancing means, consisting of pipe 33, theseal pot 33", the branch pipe 34 and the main pipe 35, are connectedwith the wash-box.y Pipe 33 is open at its upper end through which waterin the wash box 30 is conveyed to seal pot 33. When the water in theseal pot reaches the height of pipe 34 it overflows therethrough intothe main pipe 35, which leads to a separator, lnot shown in thedrawings. From this separator the water is forced into the wash-boXagain through convenient means, not shown, and the oil gained is reusedafresh.

The construction of a producer or water gas generator is well known andits dlagrammatieal plan shown in the drawing is to serve purely for thepurpose of explanation.

The dashed lines 3G and 3T indicate where solid clinker is formed byoperating the generator with present processes, while 38 is the highestmark up to which coal is deposited.

It is important to generally explain the heretofore used methods ofoperating generator in order to comprehend the significance of myimproved process, based upon actual and personal experience.

It will be also easier to understand how the different operations followeach other, when a few technical terms are first eX- plained.

For instance by the word run is generally meant a time period,consisting of two equal parts, for example a run may consist of a periodof eight minutes, which are divided into a blast, which means a fourminute period during which air is forced into the generator, and a make,which means a four minute period during which steam is forced for say 3minutes from the top through the coal, and for one minute from thebottom.

During such run oil is sprayed into the carbureter, and as this forms apart of each rum it will not be mentioned specially hereafter. Duringthe blastf7 valves 13 and 21 and 26 are opened, while valve 32 isclosed.

During the first period of the make, which is called down-blow, thevalve 2l is closed and the valve 13 is opened.

rIhe gases generated during` the down blow pass through blast pipe 13into the producer gas pipe 19 behind the then closed` valve 2l, asindicated at 113.

During the second period of the make, which is called up-blow, thevalves 2l and 32 are open, while the valves lf3 and 26 are closed. Allof the valve operations in conjunction with the different runs are selfexplanatory and self-evident and will therefore not be referred tohereafter.

The old operation, now in use, provides, within one run compa 'ativelylong periods of down-blows against blasts of inadequatelengtli, andup-blows of too short a duration.`

The result is that a hard, solid clinker is formed directly above thegrate and similar clinker formations take place upon the walls of thegenerator, preventing, together with the grate-clinker, the desiredpenetration of steam through the burning coal. Moreover the contactsurface, upon which the reaction of the steam is to take place, isreduced to a considerable extent. Consequently a reduction of produceror water gas generation follows. Through the eX- cess supply of steamduring the down-blows, the fire is unduly quenched, and clinker forms,containing unburned and unused coal particles, and covers the fire. Theunburned coal particles represent actual waste.

In order to prepare the coal for generating gas again, a longer blastperiod is required and the coal nearest to the grates totally burnsbefore having served to produce hydrogen.

lVhen cleaning the fire, the mass of clinker, forming practically asolid sheet over the burned coal, has to be removed by force, whichoperation consumes a considen able length of time.

My improved process is designedto eliminate all of the foregoing defectsof the heretofore applied methods of firing, coaling and treatments ofthe coal, and the produced gases.

After starting fire in the generator and having supplied the first layerof coal upon the grates, I make two runs, each consisting of one airblast and one steam up-,blow of equal duration, called a blast-run.

These I follow with two runs, each of air one blast and one make, thelatter consisting of a down-blow of of a make, and,

an up-blow of 3g of a make, which run I may call a make-run. Then ablast run follows.

Then three make-runs are made. Another blast run takes place and againthree make-runs follow. After the last make coaling takes place in sucha manner as to distribute the coal in as nearly a horizontal plane aspossible.

The coaling is followed by two blastruns and the foregoing process isrepeated until the 24th run is made and another coaling in the similarway takes place. The process is again repeated up to the last coalingbefore cleaning the fire, which might be at the 72nd run.

After that last coaling the usual two blast runs take place; thefollowing runs, however, are different and consist of a blast and a makeof equal length, the make however being divided into a down-blow of of amake and an up-blow of fr of a make.

The last kind of runs, which I may call final runs, continue until thefire is cleaned. A

In the aforeexplained method I correctly consider a run as a time unit,as I have experienced that, when the runs7 are made in the describedsuccession, and are properly divided into blasts and steam up-blows, andblasts and makes, and when the proportion of down and up-blows withinsuch makes is made in the prescribed proportion, the desired results areobtained.

Nevertheless I shall endeavor, for clearness sake, to repeat my processof operation once more, at the point when the first layer of coal isignited, taking as'base a run of eight minute duration and using a tablefor simplicity.

Multa Steam. RunNo. Blast. Oil.

Up. Donn Up.

Jilin. .Mira .Min M'zvz illz'n.

4 2e n, s

4 2% 1% Scoalng.

4 222 is 3, etc.

4 2% 125 3 last coaling before cleaning fire.

4 3, 3, etc., until fire iscleaned.

It will be found that, by followingmy improved method of operation,usable gas will be produced almost immediately at the first make-run,that the clinker will not contain any unused coal particles, that theclinker will form a fine, porous, light and very brittle substance, thatthe Contact surface of the burning coal will be increased, whereby thereaction of steam upon the coal is amplified,r and that a reduction offuel consumption is taking place, while gas of better quality and ofincreased volume per pound of 'coal is produced.

Owing to the fact that very light and spongy clinker is formed thecleaning of the fire is greatly facilitated especially because theclinker clinging to the generator walls will collapse by its own weightand does not necessitate its being broken up by force. The cleaningprocess will consume therefore a minimum length of time with anegligible exertion of strength, and efforts.

It is not to be forgotten that, together with the air and steam reactionprocess upon the coal, a peculiar coaling operation is required, whichconsists of depositing fresh coal at the center of the fire and keepingthe burning coal in as nearly a perfectly horizontal plane as possibleduring the entire process.

Having thus described my improved method, I claim 1. A process ofeiiciently producing carbon-hydrogen gas in a generator, which comprisessubjecting the first layer of ignited coal to an air blast and a steamblow, both of equal length and directed from beneath the coal, toanother air blast and steam blow similar to the former, to an air blast,to a steam-blow directed from the top and lasting fg of the air blast,to a steam blbw from the bottom lasting g of the blast, to a successionof two periods of operations, each period comprising an airblast and asteam up-blow of equal length, followed by three operations, eachconsisting of an air blast, a steam down-blow of of the blast period anda steam up-blow of g of the blast period of depositing coal in thecenter of the fire after the last steam 11p-blow, following the coalingup with 2 periods of air blast and steam up blows of equal length andcontinuing the process in the above described order, including thecoaling until the last coaling operation before cleaning of the fire hastaken place and has been followed up by a double air blast and steamup-blow, subjecting the thus prepared coal up to the point of cleaningto a series of operations consisting of air blasts, steam down-blows ofg of the air blasts, and steam up blows of of the air blast periods.

2. A process of producing carbon-hydrogen gas in a generator as setforth in claim l spraying oil into and mixing it with the produced gasesfor a period of 12 of each air blast and at each steam blow period.

3. A process of producing carbon-hydro` gen gas in agenerator, as setforth in claims l and 2, depositing fresh coal at each coaling periodsubstantially at the center of the fire and spreading the newly ignitedcoal in a substantially horizontal plane.

4. The process of producing carbon-hydrogen gas in a generator, whichcomprises subjecting the first layer of ignited coal to a series ofreactions called runs, each comprising a period of air blast of halfduration of a run, the other half of the run comprising either `a steamup-blow of the length of an air blast, and called a blast run, or of amake comprising a period of Si of a blast for a steam down-blow and of ablast for a steam 11p-blow, called a make run, or of a make proportioned'gv to g, called a final run, said series of runs progressing vasfollows: two blast-runs, two make-runs, one blast run, three make runs,one blast run, three make-runs, coaling, two blast runs, and so on untilthe last coaling before cleaning the fire has taken place, two blastruns after the last coaling and finalruns continuing until the cleaningtakes place.

5. The process of producing carbon-hydrogen gas as set forth in claim 4spraying oil into and mixing it with the gases at each run for a periodof g3; of a run.

6. The process of producing carbon-hydrogen gas in a generator, whichcomprises subjecting the first layer of ignited coal to a series ofreactions called runs, each run lasting for 8 minutes and divided into a4 minute air blast period during which air is forced through the coalfrom its bottom, and another 4f minute period Consisting either` of a.four minute steam up-blow7 in which oase the run is called a blast run,or of a 295 minute steam down-blow and a lminute steam up-blow period,such run being called a make-run, and finally of a 39j minute steamdown-blow and a 145 minute steam up-blow period, called a fina-l run,starting with two blast runs7 and continuing with two make runs, oneblast-run, three make-runs,one blast run, three other make-runs andooaling after the last make-run 5 two blast runs, and so on until thelast eoaling before cleaning the and a series of final runs until thecleaning of the fire takes place, spraying oil into and mixing it withthe gases at each run for 3 minutes per run.

7. The process of producing carbon-hydrogen gas in a generator as setforth in claim 6, depositing at each coaling period a layer of freshcoal substantially in the center of the fire and spreading the newlyignited coal in a substantially horizontal plane.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 5th day of September, A. D. 1919.

TIMOTHY OCONNELL.

